Protesters for and against removal of Confederate statue gather in downtown Orlando

Protesters for and against removal of Confederate statue gather in downtown Orlando

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Updated: 10:45 PM EDT May 15, 2017

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WEBVTT STATUE IS.ROBERT: THE REASON THIS ISSUEHAS REIGNITED A FIRESTORM IN OURAREA IS BECAUSE JUNE 12, THEONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THEPULSE NIGHTCLUB MASSACRE ISQUICKLY APPROACHING AND THE DAYHAS BEEN DUBBED UNITED ORLANDODAY.THIS STATUTE IS NOT UNIFIED BUTDIVIDE.TONIGHT, DOZENS OF DEMONSTRATORSGATHERED OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL TOPROTEST THE POSSIBILITY OFREMOVING A CONTROVERSIALCONFEDERATE STATUE.TO THEM, THE CENTURY-OLD LAKEEOLA LANDMARK REPRESENTS HISTOAND HERITAGE.>> WHY TAKE AWAY HISTORY FROMEVERYBODY BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLEFEEL IT IS A RACIST THING?IT'S NOT.ROBERT: BUT, MANY FOLKSDISAGREE.TELLING US THEY SEE THE STATUEAS A SYMBOL OF WHITE SUPREMACY.>> TAKING DOWN A SYMBOL OFSLAVERY, A SYMBOL OF HATEAGAINST THE AFRICAN-AMERICANCOMMUNITY.ROBERT: THE CLEAR DIVISIONFORCING A HEATED DEBATE ATTONIGHT'S MEETING.>> IT'S NOT A BLACK, WHITE ISSUETHIS MONUMENT.IT'S SIMPLY A SOUTHERN THING.>> WE HAVE MADE MISTAKES IN THEPAST.THE ONLY WAY THAT WE MOVEFORWARD AS A COUNTRY IS TO GROWAND TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES.ROBERT: AFTER 54 SPEAKERS AND ALONG DELIBERATION, THE CITYCOUNCIL CAME TO A CONSENSUS.THE STATUE COMMISSIONED BY TDAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACYMUST MOVE.>> IT DOESN'T NEED A COUNCILVOTE.THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR, INCLUDINGMYSELF, THAT ARE SOLIDLY TOWARMOVING THE STATUE FROM THE PARKTO THE CEMETERROBERT: NOTHING IS SET IN STONEYET BUT IF THEY DO MOVE THESTATUE, THEY HAVE TO REPAIR ITFIRST.THE PLAN IS TO PUT IT IN THEGREENWOOD CEMETERY WHERE THERE

Protesters for and against removal of Confederate statue gather in downtown Orlando